The origins of Russia’s Mediterranean trade: the 250th anniversary of the Küçük Kaynarca treaty

Abstract

The Black Sea trade was a crucial factor in the economic development of the Russian state following the incorporation of Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region into the empire. Nevertheless, even prior to reaching the Black Sea and the establishment of the first harbours, the Don merchants were engaged in commercial activities utilising Greek merchant vessels. The construction of merchant and military fleets in the ports of Nikolaev and Kherson was still a distant prospect. Following the conclusion of the first trade treaties between Russia and France, Turkey, Italy and the Septinsular Republic, the Black Sea trade opened up new prospects. The Mediterranean countries welcomed the new trading power with enthusiasm, anticipating the potential benefits of trade relations with it. This became evident when wheat from Novorossiya, which enjoyed good sales not only across the Mediterranean but also beyond, was shipped to Black Sea ports. Nevertheless, the Ottoman Empire continued to be Russia’s main trading partner. Its vast territory stretched across the Balkans, Asia Minor, and North Africa, including numerous islands of the Archipelago. The southern regions of the Ottoman Empire provided Russia with a range of commodities, including fruit, rice, wine, and olive oil. In return, Russian merchants exported Russian leather, furs, iron, and wheat southwards. Following Greece’s independence in 1830, trade with this state, which had long been a conduit for Russian goods and whose sailors were renowned for their expertise in the Mediterranean, began to flourish. The advancement of the Black Sea trade was contingent upon the construction of ships, which reached a new standard following the establishment of additional ports in the Crimea and the Azov region. The evolution of the Black Sea trade has been a subject of interest for scholars, both Russian and international, who have utilized published statistical data and materials from the archives of Southern Russia. The author draws on a hitherto untapped body of sources, namely information from Russian consuls in the Archipelago, Turkey, and Greece, as well as materials from the Commercial Office of the Russian mission in Constantinople, which kept meticulous records of all commercial ships passing through the Straits. The author draws upon hitherto unexplored records from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire in order to expand the framework of established perceptions concerning the inception of South Russian maritime trade and the initial endeavours of the merchants of Odessa and Taganrog.